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Posted by vendor on December 06, 2000 at 02:11:53:

This is regarding the practice of offering someone your credit card number via secure electonic means (ie: answering machine or fax machine).

It seems funny, but quite often once a substantial business deal is set up via email communications, the customer will say "I just don't like to leave my credit card number on a fax machine or answering machine."

Whether the customer realizes it or not, that comes off as a bit of an insult, because what that customer is saying is actually, "I don't mind handing my ACTUAL CREDIT CARD (with the three-digit security code one the back side) over to that dope-head juvenile deliquent at the gas station so I can keep from breaking another $20 bill, but I CAN'T TRUST YOUR COMPANY to look after the proper security of my credit card number to pay for (an instrument, a substantial repair on my treasured personal instrument, a Silent Brass, a 'whatever')".

Those of you who do this are (unintentially, I know) saying that you feel comfortable with some minimum wage bum having 100% access to your credit card information, but you feel UNcomfortable with a highly-paid professional having 95% access to your credit card information.

c'mon... If you can't trust an honest established business with your credit card number and expiration date, why would you trust them with your instrument repair, major purchase, etc. (???)

If your credit limit isn't as high as the cost of the goods or service, just say, "I'll be sending you a check.", instead of the "answering/fax machine" comments. That keeps you from any possible (if indeed it would be) embarrassing situation, and avoids the unrealized insult that you would have just inadvertantly given to the honorable vendor, who ABSOLUTELY takes the security of your credit card just as seriously as he does the quality of his goods and services.

Admittedly, over time we have come to accept this weirdness of thought and behavior in some customers, but it still seems quite odd.


-an appreciative vendor with admittedly very little to complain about, and perhaps a bit too thin-skinned


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